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Service · Soilless farming automation

Hydroponic Farming and Automation

Hydroponics is soilless farming where plants grow in water containing a nutrient solution instead of soil. Because water is recirculated in a closed loop it uses little water, but pH, nutrient strength, temperature and light need constant control. We build that control with sensors and automation. We have grown lettuce this way ourselves.

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Method
Soilless, water culture
Our trial crop
Lettuce
Controlled
pH, EC, temperature, light
Grant topic
KKYP · indoor production
Indoor hydroponic growing infographic: nutrient tank, dosing and circulation pumps, vertical racks with white PVC NFT channels, LED lighting and climate control, remote monitoring by phone.
Infographic generated with NotebookLM from the regulation and implementation sources we use (in Turkish). Click to enlarge.

We tried it ourselves: lettuce

We first set up a hydroponic system in our own trial with lettuce. Leafy greens reach harvest quickly and react fast to small changes in the nutrient solution, which makes them a good first crop for seeing what automation changes.

System types

  • NFT (nutrient film technique)

    A thin film of nutrient solution flows through gently sloped channels and feeds the roots. Common for leafy greens such as lettuce.

  • DWC (deep water culture)

    Plants grow on rafts floating on aerated nutrient solution. Simple to build, and the water volume softens temperature swings.

  • Vertical racks

    Stacked racks with artificial light give more produce per square metre; climate and light are fully controlled indoors.

What we automate

  • pH and EC dosing

    The solution's acidity and nutrient strength are measured; dosing pumps keep them in the target range.

  • Circulation and water level

    Pump operation, tank level and flow are monitored; you get an alert if the pump stops.

  • Light scheduling

    Artificial lighting is scheduled to the plants' needs and energy use is logged.

  • Climate control

    Heating, cooling, misting and ventilation are managed by temperature and humidity thresholds.

  • Remote monitoring and alerts

    All values are visible on your phone; alerts go to WhatsApp and your phone when a threshold is crossed.

  • Logging and analysis

    Measurements are recorded and compared with harvest results to improve the recipe.

Starting values for lettuce

pH
5.5 – 6.5
EC (nutrient strength)
0.8 – 1.2 mS/cm
Water temperature
18 – 22 °C

General reference ranges; tuned by trial for variety, season and system.

Starter equipment

  • Channels, tanks or racks and a support structure
  • Nutrient tank, circulation pump and air pump
  • pH, EC, water temperature and level sensors; dosing pumps
  • Artificial lighting (indoors)
  • Heating/cooling, misting and ventilation
  • Automation control panel and remote monitoring

Things to watch

  • Start-up investment is higher than soil farming; capacity and market must be clear first.
  • Fresh greens need a cold chain; transport costs more than standard courier.
  • In hot areas like Bodrum a summer climate and energy plan is essential.
  • For grants, Law 5403 permits, building permits and technical specification rules must be followed.